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Pin Pointing An Electrical Problem

Written by on December 13, 2007
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Fazili asked,

when i switch on the plug connected to my pc suddenly the circuit breaker trip, what are the problem, really appreciate your help

There could be a variety of reason why the circuit breaker trips when certain electrical items are switched on. To pin point where the problem comes from, we need to do 2 simple things.

First of all, remove the plug, in this case, the one that you are using for your PC. Then you get some other electrical items that you can find in your house, like a table fan or hair dryer that you know is working. Plug it into the same plug that you were having trouble with. If it trips again, that means that particular switch socket is faulty. If it doesn’t then your PC or whatever that has been plugged in there before is faulty.

To confirm, you can of course plug your PC to another socket outlet and see if it trips again. If it does, then definitely your PC or whatever is at fault. Once you have confirmed the fault, there is one thing you can try checking. Open the three pin plug and check if any wires have loosened. If all is in order or if your power cable for your PC are those sealed ones, you can try changing the cable and do the test again. If that fails, then I am afraid you will have to send your PC for repairs.

However, if you have removed the PC and plugged in another electrical item as described in the first step, and if circuit breaker trips again, then it is almost certain that the fault is with the switch socket and not with your PC. This can be also caused by several factors.

First the socket has reached it’s lifespan and is causing some current leakage. Secondly there could be a dead lizard inside. Don’t laugh, I have seen this many times in my course of electrical fault findings. It is a very common cause. Either way, you will have to remove the socket and take a peek inside, but make sure you switch off the Mains first. Lastly, the wires that runs to the socket and which are embedded in the walls are faulty. This is also a very common problem. If you can confirm that the fault is not with your PC, I would suggest you get an electrician to take a look if you are not proficient in handling electricity.

Categories: Electrical Tips

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